Forest Service and Policy. 181 



and with the advent of the railroads, in 1850, increased 

 apace. 



Political troubles prevented any attempts at im- 

 provement until, in 1867, comparative peace and the 

 new regime had arrived, and finally, in 1879, it became 

 possible to pass a reform law, which is the basis of 

 present conditions. 



A general forest law had been enacted in 1807; 

 this was superseded in 1858 by the adoption of the 

 Austrian law of 1852. But, in 1879, a new law reorgan- 

 ized forest policy and forest service. In that year, 

 the State interests were placed under the adminis- 

 tration of the Department of Agriculture with a 

 technical forester at the head (Oberlandforstmeister), 

 assisted by four section chiefs, one in charge of the 

 State forest administration, one for the administra- 

 tion of corporation forests, one for the elaboration of 

 working plans, and one, with the assistance of 20 

 forest inspectors having supervision of the execution 

 of all forest laws. Otherwise the general features of 

 German administrative methods prevail, except that 

 for purposes of executing the protective forest laws, 

 committees composed of three members chosen from 

 the country officials co-operate with the government 

 service. 



The law of 1879, modified and intensified in 1898, 

 provides government supervision of the management 

 of corporation and of protection forests, and pre- 

 scribes that land unfit for farming ,i.e., absolute forest 

 soil (three-quarters of all forest land), no matter by 

 whom owned, is to be reforested within six years after 



